Scientists have found a new threat to the planet: Canadian beer drinkers.

The government-commissioned study says the old, inefficient "beer fridges" that one in three Canadian households use to store their Molson and Labatt's contribute significantly to global warming by guzzling gas- and coal-fired electricity.

"People need to understand the impact of their lifestyles," British environmental consultant Joanna Yarrow tells New Scientist magazine. "Clearly the environmental implications of having a frivolous luxury like a beer fridge are not hitting home. This research helps inform people — let's hope it has an effect."

The problem is that the beer fridges are mostly decades-old machines that began their second careers as beverage dispensers when Canadians upgraded to more energy-efficient models to store whatever Canadians eat besides doughnuts and poutine.

University of Alberta researcher Denise Young, who led the study, suggests that provincial authorities hold beer-fridge buy-backs or round-ups to eliminate the threat — methods that Americans use to get guns off the streets.What's next? Assault with a Frigidaire?

7 Comments:

It's pretty dumb. What's galling is that it's obviously a bunch of snobs sticking it to the little guy. Thos who can will buy new kegerators while those who cannot will upgrade (recycle) old fridges. It's the same when the CA Air Resources Board tried to get old cars off the road. That's easy if you can afford a new car.

Of course these "terra-istas" are also ignoring the 2nd & 3rd order effects of their policy. People will eschew kegs for bottles and cans and use more resources buying and recycling them. Then there is the issue of what will happen with the old fridge? Landfills and junkyards aren't exactly solutions espoused by the Green Party.